Is this normal, or, does the dealer think I am a dunce?

1. The meter shows HOURS OF USE, not MILES. Two hours is roughly half a day's use for a commercial mower.

2. 2 hours of use on this mower is about 1/10th of one percent of its useful life span. That works out to about $5 of depreciation on the unit.

3. You said you drove the mower yourself. Do you think they just toss the mowers out after someone's tested one? Of course not. So obviously you know that they eventually sell those units. You both could have been more clear about which exact mower you were buying, and if it were a big deal for you to buy a crated model, you could have simply said so to make it clear.

4. The slight rust and paint flaws on a slightly used mower when you first get it are meaningless to its value down the line. I've got 8 y/o mowers that get daily use and don't have any rust that affects them functionally. So I wouldn't get in a lather about it.

It's one thing if they brought over a unit with a lot of hours on it and it was all banged up. They probably just assumed it didn't really matter much. Or, they thought they could dump an older unit on an inexperienced buyer and put a newer model on the floor. But either way, not that big a deal, and again, you should have made it clear you didn't want the unit you tested if you absolutely didn't want it. It may well have factored into the price you were given.

You may have poisoned your relationship with this dealer. It probably won't matter, since this machine should be well past its warranty period before giving any problems.

That's another thing. A unit that has been used a little will have the bugs worked out of it. A newly uncrated and set up unit may well have something that needs an adjustment almost right away.

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1. Someone already pointed it out. I can fix it if it really upsets anyone. Chalk it up to late night brain failure.

2. Not going to argue there. Like I said, it's not the hours that really bugged me.

3. I drove a mower than had sitting in front of the place all season. Just because I look at a TV on the floor at Circuit City, I shouldn't expect them to throw it in a box and give it to me when I buy one. Why should I have to specify that I want a new one? Shouldn't it be their responsibility to point out if they are talking about a slightly used one, rather than a new one? Thats just a ridiculous position to take.

4. It's not their call about what it acceptable, it's mine. This isn't a mower for a contractor thats going to get banged around, its for residential use, and I like to take care of my stuff. I mean, getting food all over my couch doesn't affect its fucntionality, but that doesn't mean that I want to crap it out. I pride myself on how I take care of my equipment. I just gave away a yard man mower I used for the past 7 years. The thing looked brand new (except for the underside of the deck, can't help that) and still starts immediately on the first pull. I appreciate that it's functionality wasn't impaired, but I like my $5000 new items to look, well, new.

Steelrat said he got the mower for less than retail, by $8 or 900, so that would more than compensate for the rusty areas and 2 hours on the hour meter.

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Honestly though, is ANYONE paying retail for their lawnmowing equipment here? Everyplace I went was offering money off immediately, before I even started negotiating. To me it was pretty clear that I was getting a new one, and the initial resistance from the dealer when I complained made me a bit worried, but they came through in the end without any issues.

That's the problem. If you drove that truck, then everyone would know that's the vehicle you're dealing on.

uhh no...if I test drive a truck (demo) it does not mean I am buying that truck,,,it means I want to buy a NEW one very similar to it...unless of course I said dude "can I get this Demo model cheaper?"

The last car I test drove had 2500 or so miles on it....the one I took delivery of had 6miles on it...ie new

That's the problem. If you drove that truck, then everyone would know that's the vehicle you're dealing on.

uhh no...if I test drive a truck (demo) it does not mean I am buying that truck,,,it means I want to buy a NEW one very similar to it...unless of course I said dude "can I get this Demo model cheaper?"

The last car I test drove had 2500 or so miles on it....the one I took delivery of had 6miles on it...ie new

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I must have just dealt with bigger dealerships than you, because I've never test drove a truck with more than 100 miles on it.

I even buy trucks that have been sitting on the lot for 7-9+ months, so I CAN get a better deal.

I mow the Chevy, Dodge and GMC dealerships close to where I live, and when I'm in the market for a truck (every 3rd year) I look for one or two that I like, and then keep track of the stock numbers. I then wait until I'm ready to buy one (about 6-7 months after they've been sitting) and they've never had 2500 miles on them.

Just because something's been on the lot for 5-6-7-8-9-19 months doesn't automatically make it a demo or used.

If I would have been Steelrat's dealer, I probably would have had to bring the mower back, take the rusted parts off, clean them up, repaint them, and send you on your way. Again, probably 3 hours of work, $50 in materials. Either that, or figure out a way to warranty the parts, I wouldn't have given a new mower.

And the other point, I wouldn't even buy a NEW 2003 ANYTHING if it had a big rust spot on it and the fender fell off. I wouldn't even buy a 2006 of that same model this day in age.

I must have just dealt with bigger dealerships than you, because I've never test drove a truck with more than 100 miles on it.

Your may be big but isis not moving inventory.

I even buy trucks that have been sitting on the lot for 7-9+ months, so I CAN get a better deal.

Don't care whether a car truck has been sitting, as long as it hasn't been driven...again unless I'm looking for something used to save money.

I mow the Chevy, Dodge and GMC dealerships close to where I live, and when I'm in the market for a truck (every 3rd year) I look for one or two that I like, and then keep track of the stock numbers. I then wait until I'm ready to buy one (about 6-7 months after they've been sitting) and they've never had 2500 miles on them.

That's because they've been sitting on the lot and are not DEMOS

Just because something's been on the lot for 5-6-7-8-9-19 months doesn't automatically make it a demo or used.

Agree...it's been SITTING on the lot...obviosly a DEMO does not sit on the lot...people test drive it

If I would have been Steelrat's dealer, I probably would have had to bring the mower back, take the rusted parts off, clean them up, repaint them, and send you on your way. Again, probably 3 hours of work, $50 in materials. Either that, or figure out a way to warranty the parts, I wouldn't have given a new mower.

Kind of conradictory to your statement below...don't you think. It's OK to sell a repainted mower, but you wouldn't buy a car yourself that at some point had rust spots?

And the other point, I wouldn't even buy a NEW 2003 ANYTHING if it had a big rust spot on it and the fender fell off. I wouldn't even buy a 2006 of that same model this day in age.

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Sorry to rag on here man, but the point is, the dealer was not clear on which mower he was selling to Steelrat and obiously he was under the impression he was getting a new on and not the one sitting in the front of the dealership. There are many different buyers out there, me personally if I want a truck in a specific color with certain options and it not on the lot, but he/she has a different truck on the lot...wrong color, same options...sitting there for 1day to several months...I'll negotiate on that truck, then say OK now get me one in the color I want for that price...I may have had to wait a few days for the dealer to locate it, but it was always detailed, nice and shinny with minimal miles on the odometer.

Sorry to rag on here man, but the point is, the dealer was not clear on which mower he was selling to Steelrat and obiously he was under the impression he was getting a new on and not the one sitting in the front of the dealership. There are many different buyers out there, me personally if I want a truck in a specific color with certain options and it not on the lot, but he/she has a different truck on the lot...wrong color, same options...sitting there for 1day to several months...I'll negotiate on that truck, then say OK now get me one in the color I want for that price I may have had to wait a few days for the dealer to locate it, but it was always detailed, nice and shinny with minimal miles on the odometer.

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Correct, and you took the step to make sure, you didn't ASSUME that was what you were getting.

If you go to buy new clothes, do you take the first one off the rack, the one that everyone's tried on?? Or do you reach for a shirt towards the back, or to the bottom of the pile, one that no one's gotten to yet??

My point is, is that Steelrat needs to chalk this up to a lessoned learned as well, to be clear, not ASSUME. It needs to be on the sales order, "NEW".

He's lucky that the dealer IS understanding. IMO, the dealer doesn't have to do anything, that the sale was for a 44z. Any lawyer would say with 2 hours, that IS new, that one should know enough that if the mower is sitting outside, that it's going to get some surface rust on it.

All you guys that say "get one out of the crate", where do you think the crates sit???